


Cory Wilson Is Not Gay

by Fisticuffsandjapery



Category: Ackley Bridge (TV)
Genre: I just want Naveed to be happy, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-07
Updated: 2018-08-07
Packaged: 2019-06-23 14:22:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,303
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15608187
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fisticuffsandjapery/pseuds/Fisticuffsandjapery
Summary: SPOILERS FOR 2x10'Naveed gave an embarrassed grin.  “Oh, yeah.  I mean, the rec centre was a great start but Ben got me a gig at his uni’s comedy club and they liked me so I’ve done a couple there-“Cory could feel his cheeks heating up.  How dare Naveed ditch him as his manager. “Who’s Ben!?”“Um...He’s…I’m kind of…we’re seeing each other.”Cory mind went blank.  He stayed silent for a good three seconds before he blurted out the first thing that came to his head.  “You have a boyfriend!?”'





	Cory Wilson Is Not Gay

**Author's Note:**

> ***SPOILERS FOR 2x10***
> 
> Just…
> 
> I can't even begin to tell you my mood when I was writing this an hour after I watched the episode.
> 
> I just had to write something from Cory’s POV even though he hurt Naveed.
> 
> This is my first venture into Ackley Bridge so feedback would be much appreciated!

Cory breathed a sigh of relief when he finally spotted Naveed on one of the benches at the far corner of the school grounds.  He walked over giving Kayleigh a cheeky wink on the way.  It has been 8 weeks since _that_ night and for the most part, everything had gone back to normal.  And that was how Cory wanted it.  In fact, apart from the absent side glances or dopey smiles when Naveed thought he wasn’t looking, nothing else had changed.  Not that Cory had even noticed that they were missing.  At first, he had felt a bit sorry for Naveed and worried if he was going to be okay, but Naveed was back to being his best mate.  Just his best mate.  Or maybe not _best_ mate.  In the last month, his so-called best friend had ditched him twice and even forgot Cory was coming around to play FIFA last week.

 

“You alright?” Cory questioned, swinging his rucksack onto the bench next to Naveed.  Maybe something was up at home?  Maybe his mum brought that Imam around again.  Fucking idiot thinking he was going to change Nav.  That boy was perfect the way he was and the sooner his mum realised that, the better.

 

His friend barely looked up from his phone.  “Yeah.  You alright?”

 

Cory furrowed his brows.  “Everything okay at home?  No one’s giving you grief, right?”

 

“Nope,” Naveed said simply.

 

Cory nodded slowly to himself as Naveed continued to stare at his phone.  The Pakistani boy smiled at something on his screen and for some reason that irked the Wilson lad.  Cory scrambled onto the bench beside his bag, trying to get Naveed’s attention.  “It’s just that we haven’t really hung out the last few weeks so I thought maybe something had happened-“

 

Naveed finally held Cory’s gaze and the taller boy let out the breath he didn’t know that he had been holding.  Naveed grinned.  “You don’t have to worry Cor, I’m okay.  I’m more then great.  Dad’s been amazing and Mrs Paracha has been so good with mum.  And sorry I haven’t been around as much, I’m been really busy with gigs and meeting new people and-”

 

Cory stopped Naveed mid-sentence.  “Gigs?  Like comedy gigs?  I’m meant to be sorting that for you,” Cory said, hurt.

 

Naveed gave an embarrassed grin.  “Oh, yeah.  I mean, the rec centre was a great start but Ben got me a gig at his uni’s comedy club and they liked me so I’ve done a couple there-“

 

Cory could feel his cheeks heating up.  How dare Naveed ditch him as his manager. “Who’s Ben!?”

 

“Um...He’s…I’m kind of…we’re seeing each other.”

 

Cory mind went blank.  He stayed silent for a good three seconds before he blurted out the first thing that came to his head.  “You have a boyfriend?”

 

Naveed shook his head.  “No…well, not yet anyway.  I wanted to take it slow.  Didn’t want to jump to the wrong conclusions this time.  But don’t worry, I checked he’s gay first before I kissed him,” Naveed joked.

 

Cory mustered up a fake smile.  For some reason, that joke felt like a hard rock at the pit of his stomach.  Naveed had a someone.  Naveed didn’t need him.  Naveed was happy without him.  Cory had been replaced.

 

And the sensible side of him knew that it was silly to think like that.  So, his mate had a boyfriend, big deal, that didn’t stop them being friends.  But the other side wanted to punch this Ben’s face in even though he hadn’t the foggiest idea who he was.

 

The bell went, and Naveed to turned to pick up his belongings.  Cory hadn’t moved.  Naveed fiddled with his bag before filling in the awkward silence.  “I’m having another gig tomorrow if you and Riz fancy it?  Could be a laugh?”

 

Cory gave a quick nod and reminded himself they were still best mates.

 

* * *

 

Riz hadn’t stopped talking about Ben the whole way there.  The more Cory heard about this Ben guy, the more he hated him.  And why the fuck had Naveed taken Haley and Riz on a double date and not him?  Riz wouldn’t have even known the guy if it wasn’t for Cory.  Cory didn’t care if Ben played football for the uni team and sang in a choir.  He sounded like a right twat.

 

They got to the venue and quickly found their seats.

 

“Mate, Nav’s punching.  Ben is hot,” Riz adds. “Looks and personality.  Definitely a keeper.  You’ll like him.”

 

Cory gives a grunt of disapproval.  “Hot?”

 

Riz turns his whole body.  He hadn’t got used to life without his brace just yet.  “What?  I have eyes.  It doesn’t emasculate me just because I can appreciate the male form.  A hottie is a hottie at the end of the day.”

 

Cory ignored him.  He strained.  He couldn’t see Naveed anywhere in the crowd.  He tried to relax and told himself that Naveed would be backstage getting ready.  Maybe he should just pop to the back.  He knew how nervous Naveed got before gigs.  As he started to rise he heard a new voice call out Riz.

 

Fucking Ben.

 

Cory sized him up as he talked to Riz.  5’10, strawberry blonde, clean shaven, looked 19 years old, 20 tops.  Waistcoat and jeans.  ‘Looks like a muppet,’ he concluded. 

 

Cory finally tuned in to the conversation as Ben continued.  “I just saw him.  He’s nervous.  I told him he’s not going to blow it.  Keeps saying he is.”  Ben grins before turns to Cory.  “And you must be the famous Cory.  Just as good looking in person as Naveed described,” Ben joked.

 

Cory took immediate offence.  What exactly had Naveed told his new boyfriend?  He didn’t need shit getting around his mates.  They wouldn’t understand.  Even Cory didn’t understand.  “You what!?”

 

Ben frowned.  “Nothing.  Just, he mentioned his best mate gets all the girls.  I was just saying, I can see why,” he tried.

 

Cory settled, grateful that the lights had dimmed so he didn’t have to deal with Riz’s what-the-fuck side glance.  As the curtains drew back, his chest swelled with pride as his best friend took centre stage.  Naveed was brilliant as always.  Perfect timing and spot on with the jokes.  There was no doubt about it, Naveed Haider was going to be a star.

 

Throughout the show, Cory noticed out of the corner of his eye, that Ben was mouthing the words along like a fucking groupie and giving Naveed encouraging smiles.  Had they worked on this act together?  Naveed always tested out his new material with him.  And what now?  He was working with Ben as well as being gay boyfriends?

 

But that there was Cory’s problem.

 

Ben was gay.

 

And Cory knew he wasn’t.

 

He had sex with Naveed _once_. 

 

One bloke. 

 

A one-time thing.

 

He’d slept with loads of girls. 

 

He _liked_ sleeping with girls. 

 

Every single type of girl.

 

But that didn’t explain why seeing Naveed happy at the end of the gig, hugging Ben and not him, hurt like fuck.  Or how he had wanted to be anywhere but there when Ben had laced his fingers with Naveed so effortlessly and whispered something in the schoolboy's ear to make him flush visibly.

 

* * *

 

That night, lying in the dark, Cory looked at the selfie he had taken with Naveed dressed at Puck after the school play.  For the first time in 8 weeks, Cory let himself remember _that_ night.

 

How it had felt so _right_.

 

How it had felt, with not another girl in a long list of girls, but Naveed, in his arms.  How there was no awkward morning after. How Naveed had sung in the shower before school.

 

But none of that mattered.

 

Because Cory Wilson was not gay.

**Author's Note:**

> AAAGHHH 
> 
> So I just I had to write something because the last episode killed me!! 
> 
> I need Cory to be Bi or Pan or something/anything to justify why on earth he did what he did.
> 
> Anyway, I know this isn't a happy ending for the boys but I really needed Naveed to be happy in this one.
> 
> I hoped it was a reasonable read regardless and any comments would be great.
> 
> xxx


End file.
